Happy Father’s Day!

How will you get your dad

outside this Father’s Day?

In 2011 alone, 33.1 million U.S. residents 16 and up fished somewhere in the U.S. Credit: USFWS

Fishing isn’t just about the fish! From helping to hook the worm and cast the line to reeling in that big one, this great American pastime gives the opportunities for fond memories and relationships. Credit: USFWS

She reeled in a big fish at the Northeast Fishery Center’s annual fishing event in Lamar, Penn. Credit: Joe Vickless/USFWS

We’ve got to take a moment to tell you about some other cool dads, too.

This female red-necked phalarope at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Maryland doesn’t provide the parental care. For all kinds of phalaropes, the male provides all of it! Credit: USFWS

Here’s a male phalarope – the red phalarope. Males are actually duller in color and markings than females, which is unusual for birds. Credit: Lee Karney/USFWS

In most vireo species, the males help with brooding eggs and feeding nestlings/fledglings. Blue-headed vireos and yellow-throated vireos, in particular, appear to have a nearly equal split in these parenting duties between males and females. This red-eyed vireo was photographed in Hawley, Mass. Credit: Bill Thompson/USFWS

ABOUT US

We love nature. We'd rather be outside getting our hands dirty (...except when we're blogging!). Our blog is how we share our passion for protecting and restoring fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats. Do you love the outdoors? Tell us! Subscribe to keep up with the latest in Northeast conservation.

DID YOU KNOW?

More than 500,000 acres of the Northeast are part of the National Wildlife Refuge System, from breathtaking views of boreal forests at Canaan Valley in West Virginia to the rocky coastline of Maine Coastal Islands. Refuges conserve habitat for wildlife and provide opportunities for the visiting public.